Me llaman Artemio Furia /They call me Artemio Furi (Spanish Edition)

Argentinian Bonelli's novel, a modern-day Lady Chatterley's Lover set in Argentina between 1790 and 1825, is about a love affair between two strong-willed individuals. Artemio Furia is an extremely good-looking, uneducated gaucho who gets along with everyone regardless of class. Tall, blond, with piercing turquoise eyes, he is well respected and sometimes feared. Artemio and his followers were influential in the May Revolution of 1810, as he served the armies of Juan José de Pueyrredón to expel the British. The gorgeous Rafaela Palafox y Binta is an aristocrat. (Her status is questionable, however, as her father continuously seeks to prove that he is not a marrano, that is, he is not of Jewish, mulatto, or indigenous descent, so that Spain will grant him the Executive Letter of Nobility.) Rafaela, who loves plants, is faced with having to work to provide for herself and a handicapped child she has taken in. She develops potions for medical purposes, shaming her family by doing so, as work is reserved for the lower classes, including slaves. Using frank language and steamy love scenes, Bonelli successfully describes the many trials and tribulations their relationship endures. A very entertaining read; recommended for bookstores, academic libraries, and lovers of historical romance.—Liliana Wendorff, Univ. of North Carolina at Pembroke